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Blue Jays sign infielder Maicer Izturis

By Brendan KennedySports Reporter

Fri., Nov. 9, 2012

The Blue Jays are still looking for a new manager and have yet to make a splashy upgrade to the starting rotation, but GM Alex Anthopoulos solved one of his club’s other vacancies on Thursday, inking utility infielder Maicer Izturis to a three-year deal worth $9 million.

The 32-year-old Venezuelan, who made his big-league debut with the Montreal Expos in 2004, played the last eight seasons in a part-time role with the L.A. Angels, serving as a backup at second, third and shortstop.

Unless the Jays add another infielder, Izturis will compete with rookie Adeiny Hechavarria for the starting second base job but will most likely end up a backup infielder.

The Jays’ middle-infield needs became more glaring over the weekend when they dealt Mike Aviles — acquired in the John Farrell trade with the Red Sox — to Cleveland for another bullpen arm, leaving Hechavarria and journeyman Mike McCoy as the only internal options at second base. The club chose not to re-sign Kelly Johnson, their own free-agent second baseman.

Minor as it may be, the Izturis signing — which also includes a $3 million club option for 2016 — is actually the biggest free-agent contract Anthopoulos has handed out since taking the Jays’ reins three years ago.

Toronto fans are hoping it is a harbinger of moves to come, because Anthopoulos’s biggest off-season decisions are still outstanding.

After the embarrassing exit of ex-manager Farrell — who twice asked to be relieved of his duties to pursue his “dream job” in Boston — Anthopoulos is under pressure to hire a manager who figures to be a long-term part of the Jays’ future.

But his most important task is finding immediate upgrades to the club’s starting rotation, either via trade or free agency. That is how his off-season success or failure will be defined.

Anthopoulos had previously made clear his intention to add an established major-league infielder, either to serve as the everyday second baseman or to back up Hechavarria and shortstop Yunel Escobar.

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While Hechavarria impressed with his glove in 41 games for the Jays last season, he still has minor-league options remaining and could start the season in Triple-A.

But the free-agent market for second basemen is paper thin this year, with 37-year-old NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro at the top of the pile. Scutaro is expected to re-sign with the Giants, leaving the Jays to target fringy utility players like Izturis.

The Jays also acquired another hard-throwing reliever on Thursday, picking up right-handed reliever Jeremy Jeffress from the Kansas City Royals for cash.

Jeffress, 25, has spent most of his seven-year career in the minors. He pitched 13.1 big-league innings last year for the Royals, posting a 6.75 ERA while striking out almost a batter an inning.

He’s known for a blazing fastball, which tops out at 100 m.p.h. and sits around 95 or 96 m.p.h.

He’s also known for being a repeat offender under Minor League Baseball’s drug policy after testing positive for marijuana on three occasions.

He received a warning upon his first positive test in 2006, was subsequently suspended 50 games for his second positive test in 2007 and then 100 games for his third offence in 2009. Major League Baseball does not test for marijuana, but if Jeffress fails another minor-league test he will receive a lifetime ban from the minors.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies hired former player Walt Weiss as their new manager Wednesday night, leaving the Jays as the only club still looking for a skipper.

The Washington Nationals have not yet re-signed Davey Johnson to an extension, though both sides believe it will get done soon.

Anthopoulos told the Star earlier this week that while he has no timeline on hiring a new manager, it will “definitely” happen before the winter meetings, which begin Dec. 3.

Fox Sports baseball columnist Ken Rosenthal reported via Twitter on Wednesday that the Jays are “focused” on hiring a manager with prior major-league experience, which would preclude the likes of Sandy Alomar Jr. and Tim Wallach, who had been perceived as front-runners.

Managers with big-league experience who have been connected to the Jays job include current bench coach Don Wakamatsu, who was interviewed in 2010 and previously managed the Seattle Mariners; and Manny Acta, who was recently fired by the Cleveland Indians and once served as the Montreal Expos’ third-base coach.

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